18. How I Became a Christ-Centered Birth Doula, Part 1: My Traumatic Hospital Birth Story

Send us Fan MailThis episode is personal, a little less polished, and by popular request.In Part 1 of this series, I'm sharing my own birth story...my first baby, born in a hospital during the height of COVID, and the experience that ultimately changed the entire direction of my life and (eventually) led me to becoming a birth doula.I'm holding nothing back. I want you to understand not just what happened, but how it felt, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Because I believe this story matters, and I believe God has used it in ways I'm still uncovering.In this episode, I share:• The chaotic backdrop of 2020: living in Vietnam during COVID, coming home with no plan, and finding out I was pregnant• All the things that shocked me about labor and delivery• The moment my autonomy was first dismissed and how I didn't even have the language for that yet• What labor actually felt like• The interventions I consented to without fully knowing what I was agreeing to• Why I got an epidural and the aftermath of that decision• What happened during pushing that basically changed my lifeIt took me a long time to be able to call my birth traumatic. But it was, for me. Still, there is so much hope on the other side... and we'll get to that in the rest of this series ;)Part 2 is coming soon. Thanks for being here for this one.Just getting started?Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:10 Steps to Natural Birth Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.Free Scripture-Based Affirmation CardsFor encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation CardsConnect with me on Instagram:@rise.birth